Steve McQueen - Biography - IMDb Steve McQueen Biography Showing all 183 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (2) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (6) | Trivia (112) | Personal Quotes (31) | Salary (24) Overview (5) 7 November 1980 , Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico (heart attack following surgery for metastasized cancer stemming from mesothelioma) Birth Name 5' 9½" (1.77 m) Mini Bio (2) He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. Over 25 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular culture. McQueen was born in Beech Grove, Indiana, to Julia Ann (Crawford) and William Terence McQueen, a stunt pilot.

His first lead role was in the low-budget sci-fi film The Blob (1958), quickly followed by roles in The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) and Never So Few (1959). The young McQueen appeared as Vin, alongside Yul Brynner , in the star-laden The Magnificent Seven (1960) and effectively hijacked the lead from the bigger star by ensuring he was nearly always doing something in every shot he and Brynner were in together, such as adjusting his hat or gun belt. He next scored with audiences with two interesting performances, first in the World War II drama Hell Is for Heroes (1962) and then in The War Lover (1962). Riding a wave of popularity, McQueen delivered another crowd pleaser as Hilts, the Cooler King, in the knockout World War II P.O.W. film The Great Escape (1963), featuring his famous leap over the barbed wire on a motorcycle while being pursued by Nazi troops (in fact, however, the stunt was actually performed by his good friend, stunt rider Bud Ekins ).

McQueen next appeared in several films of mixed quality, including Soldier in the Rain (1963); Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) and Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965). However, they failed to really grab audience attention, but his role as Eric Stoner in The Cincinnati Kid (1965), alongside screen legend Edward G. Robinson and Karl Malden , had movie fans filling theaters again to see the ice-cool McQueen they loved. He was back in another western, Nevada Smith (1966), again with Malden, and then he gave what many consider to be his finest dramatic performance as loner US Navy sailor Jake Holman in the superb The Sand Pebbles (1966). McQueen was genuine hot property and next appeared with Faye Dunaway in the provocative crime drama The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), next in what many consider his signature role, that of a maverick, taciturn detective in the mega-hit Bullitt (1968), renowned for its famous chase sequence through San Francisco between McQueen's Ford Mustang and the killer's black Dodge Charger.

Interestingly, McQueen's next role was a total departure from the action genre, as he played Southerner Boon Hogganbeck in the family-oriented The Reivers (1969), based on the popular William Faulkner novel. Not surprisingly, the film didn't go over particularly well with audiences, even though it was an entertaining and well made production, and McQueen showed an interesting comedic side of his acting talents. He returned to more familiar territory in 1971, with the race film Le Mans (1971), a rather self-indulgent exercise, and its slow plot line contributed to its rather poor performance in theaters. It wasn't until many years later that it became something of a cult film, primarily because of the footage of Porsche 917s roaring around race tracks in France. McQueen then teamed up with maverick Hollywood director Sam Peckinpah to star in the modern western Junior Bonner (1972), about a family of rodeo riders, and again with Peckinpah as bank robber Doc McCoy in the violent The Getaway (1972). Both did good business at the box office.

McQueen's next role was a refreshing surprise and Papillon (1973), based on the Henri Charrière novel of the same name, was well received by fans and critics alike. He plays a convict on a French penal colony in South America who persists in trying to escape from his captors and feels their wrath when his attempts fail. The 1970s is a decade remembered for a slew of "disaster" movies and McQueen starred in arguably the biggest of the time, The Towering Inferno (1974). He shared equal top billing with Paul Newman and an impressive line-up of co-stars including Fred Astaire , Robert Vaughn and Faye Dunaway . McQueen does not appear until roughly halfway into the film as San Francisco fire chief Mike O'Halloran, battling to extinguish an inferno in a 138-story skyscraper. The film was a monster hit and set the benchmark for other disaster movies that followed. It was, however, McQueen's last film role for several years.

After a four-year hiatus he surprised fans, and was almost unrecognizable under long hair and a beard, as a rabble-rousing early environmentalist in An Enemy of the People (1978), based on the Henrik Ibsen play. McQueen's last two film performances were in the unusual western Tom Horn (1980), then he portrayed real-life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa' Thorson ( Ralph Thorson ) in The Hunter (1980). In 1978, McQueen developed a small but persistent cough that wouldn't go away. He quit smoking and underwent antibiotic treatments without improvement. Shortness of breath grew more pronounced and on December 22, 1979, after he completed work on 'The Hunter', a biopsy revealed pleural mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure for which there is no known cure. The asbestos was thought to have been in the protective suits worn in his race car driving days, but in fact the auto racing suits McQueen wore were made of Nomex, a DuPont fire-resistant aramid fiber that contains no asbestos.

McQueen later gave a medical interview in which he believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and race-drivers' protective suits and helmets could have been involved, but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging from pipes aboard a troop ship while in the US Marines. By February 1980, there was evidence of widespread metastasis. While he tried to keep the condition a secret, the National Enquirer disclosed that he had "terminal cancer" on March 11, 1980. In July, McQueen traveled to Rosarito Beach, Mexico for an unconventional treatment after US doctors told him they could do nothing to prolong his life. Controversy arose over McQueen's Mexican trip, because McQueen sought a non-traditional cancer treatment called the Gerson Therapy that used coffee enemas, frequent washing with shampoos, daily injections of fluid containing live cells from cows and sheep, massage and laetrile, a supposedly "natural" anti-cancer drug available in Mexico, but not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

McQueen paid for these unconventional medical treatments by himself in cash payments which was said to have cost an upwards of $40,000 per month during his three-month stay in Mexico. McQueen was treated by William Donald Kelley, whose only medical license had been (until revoked in 1976) for orthodontics. McQueen returned to the US in early October. Despite metastasis of the cancer through McQueen's body, Kelley publicly announced that McQueen would be completely cured and return to normal life. McQueen's condition soon worsened and "huge" tumors developed in his abdomen. In late October 1980, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico to have an abdominal tumor on his liver (weighing around five pounds) removed, despite warnings from his US doctors that the tumor was inoperable and his heart could not withstand the surgery. McQueen checked into a Juarez clinic under the alias "Sam Shepard" where the local Mexican doctors and staff at the small, low-income clinic were unaware of his actual identity. Steve McQueen passed away on November 7, 1980, at age 50 after the cancer surgery which was said to be successful.

He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He married three times and had a lifelong love of motor racing, once remarking, "Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - IMDb Mini Biography By: firehouse44@hotmail.com Steve McQueen was an American actor. Called "The King of Cool", his "anti-hero" persona, developed at the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles. His other popular films include The Cincinnati Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon, as well as the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and The Towering Inferno. In 1974, he became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in films again for four years. McQueen was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries. McQueen's first breakout role came on television.

He appeared on Dale Robertson's NBC western series, Tales of Wells Fargo. Elkins, then McQueen's manager, successfully lobbied Vincent M. Fennelly, producer of the western series Trackdown, to have McQueen read for the part of bounty hunter Josh Randall in a Trackdown episode. McQueen appeared as Randall in the episode, cast opposite series lead and old New York motorcycle racing buddy Robert Culp. McQueen then filmed the pilot episode, which became the series titled Wanted: Dead or Alive, which aired on CBS in September 1958. The Magnificent Seven (1960), in which he played Vin Tanner and co-starred with Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson and James Coburn, became McQueen's first major hit and led to his withdrawal from Wanted: Dead or Alive. McQueen's focused portrayal of the taciturn second lead catapulted his career. His added touches in many of the shots, such as shaking a shotgun round before loading it, repeatedly checking his gun while in the background of a shot, and wiping his hat rim, annoyed costar Brynner, who protested that McQueen was trying to steal scenes.

McQueen played the lead in the next big Sturges film, 1963's The Great Escape, Hollywood's fictional depiction of the true story of a historical mass escape from a World War II POW camp, Stalag Luft III. Insurance concerns prevented McQueen from performing the film's notable motorcycle leap, which was done by his friend and fellow cycle enthusiast Bud Ekins, who resembled McQueen from a distance. McQueen earned his only Academy Award nomination in 1966 for his role as an engine-room sailor in The Sand Pebbles, in which he stars opposite Candice Bergen and Richard Attenborough. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (3) Usually played tough, sexy and determined men Low gravelly voice Roles in Action films and War films Often played Police officers or Military characters Cigarette dangling off the right side of his mouth Light brown hair and bright blue eyes Trivia (112) Of the 2000 performers who auditioned for Lee Strasberg 's exclusive Actors Studio in 1955, only two were accepted: Martin Landau and McQueen.

In October 1997 he was ranked #30 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. On August 8, 1969, a week before the Woodstock Music Festival kicked off in Bethel, NY, McQueen had been invited for dinner at the Roman Polanski - Sharon Tate home in the Hollywood hills by mutual friend and hairdresser-to the-stars Jay Sebring . An unexpected rendezvous with a mystery woman prompted him to cancel his appointment. In the wake of the Manson Family Tate-LaBianca murders at, respectively, 10050 Cielo Drive and 3301 Waverly Drive, McQueen would later learn that he was accorded the kind of priority billing for which he was unprepared--he topped Charles Manson 's celebrity death list. Thereafter he carried a concealed weapon. Although he was the highest0paid star of the 1960s, McQueen had a reputation for being tight-fisted. On some films he would demand ten electric razors and dozens of pairs of jeans.

It was later found that he gave this stuff to Boys Republic, a private school and treatment community for troubled youngsters, where he spent a few years himself. Issued a private pilot's license by the FAA in 1979 after learning to fly in a Stearman bi-plane, which he purchased for that purpose. After his death it was sold at auction, along with his large collection of vehicles, in 1982. Trained in Tang Soo Do with ninth-degree black belt Pat E. Johnson (not Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris as is popularly believed). His son was trained in karate by Norris. Lee trained him in Jeet Kune Do. Served in the US Marine Corps. Was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an often fatal form of cancer related to asbestos exposure, which often afflicts workers in ship-building and construction industries. As in most cases, a tumor was discovered on the outside lining of a lung, and spread to other areas of the body. Although McQueen had been a heavy smoker, which may or may not have been a contributing factor, mesothelioma itself is not a smoking-related lung disease.

While the source of his exposure has been debated, McQueen himself points to two likely sources, including the time when he took part in replacing asbestos-based insulation in the ship's engine room during his stint in the Marines. He also believed he could have been exposed in his years as a film star, since soundstage insulation had also been made of asbestos. Others have suggested sources as varied as automotive brake pads and the cloth used to bandage his broken foot during the 12 hours of Sebring race in '71. Was cremated and had his ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean In 1995 he was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#19). Was a pallbearer at the funeral of Bruce Lee . Dropped out of school in ninth grade. Former stepfather of Josh Evans . He proposed the idea for a film The Bodyguard (1992) in 1976, but this was forgotten for 16 years until 1992, when Kevin Costner revived it. His role in Never So Few (1959) was originally going to be played by Sammy Davis Jr. .

A feud had broken out between Davis and Frank Sinatra after Davis had claimed in a radio interview that he was a greater singer than Sinatra. Sinatra demanded he be dropped from the cast, and thus McQueen received his breakthrough role. Died from two consecutive heart attacks at 3:45 am on November 7 1980, less than 24 hours after undergoing successful surgery to remove the malignant tumors in his stomach and lungs. According to the doctor present at the operation, his right lung was entirely cancerous. Sheryl Crow made a song titled 'Steve McQueen' as a tribute to him. It is featured on the album "C'mon C'mon". The original script of The Towering Inferno (1974) called for his character to have more lines of dialogue than Paul Newman 's. McQueen insisted that the script be changed so that he and Newman would have the same number of lines. He believed that his talent was superior to Newman's and he wanted the critical criteria to be as equal as possible. Was originally slated to star with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); however, due to a disagreement over the billing, he left the project.

Ironically, the billing method was used several years later when he and Newman starred together in The Towering Inferno (1974). He was very interested in playing John Rambo in the adaptation of the novel "First Blood". He was actually slated to star, but did not due to his death. Sylvester Stallone got the role instead in First Blood (1982). The band Drive-By Truckers have the tribute song "Steve McQueen" featured on their 1998 album "Gangstabilly". Along with Martin Sheen and James Dean , is mentioned in R.E.M. 's song "Electrolite". After being told his lung cancer was inoperable, he went to a health clinic in Mexico to undergo a controversial "apricot pit" therapy that is still banned in the United States. Was the first of the original The Magnificent Seven (1960) to pass away. Appears, helmeted and uncredited, as a motorcyclist in the 1976 B-movie Dixie Dynamite (1976), starring Warren Oates and Christopher George .

Legend has it that the call went out for dirt bike riders to take part in this low-budget action adventure, and among those who turned up was McQueen. Heavily bearded and overweight, he kept a low profile (this was during his reclusive period when he was turning down multi-million-dollar offers for such films as A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Apocalypse Now (1979)), and was only noticed when he queued up to accept his day's payment, about $120. The astonished production assistant handing out the cash saw his name on a list and said, "Is that THE Steve McQueen?". McQueen's riding style (standing on his foot pedals, leaning forward, head over the handlebars) makes him immediately identifiable to bike buffs. He was voted the 56th Greatest Movie Star of all time by "Entertainment Weekly". The "King of Cool" became a born-again Christian shortly before he died, due to the influence of his third wife Barbara Minty and his flying instructor Sammy Mason. He went through Bible studies with Rev. Billy Graham . It is interesting to note that this conversion happened before he was diagnosed with cancer, meaning it was probably genuine.

McQueen's favorite Bible verse was John 3:16, which reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life". In the 1960s he publicly threatened to break Howard Hughes ' nose if Hughes did not stop harassing Mamie Van Doren , a woman both men had had affairs with, but at different times. Needless to say, Hughes never bothered Van Doren again. Upon meeting Martin Landau , McQueen told Landau that they had already met. Landau, who didn't remember McQueen, inquired as to where. McQueen told him that he--Landau--was on the back of James Dean 's motorcycle when Dean brought it in for repairs at a NYC garage. The motorcycle mechanic at the garage was none other than McQueen. After the huge success of The Towering Inferno (1974), McQueen announced that any producer wishing to acquire his services would have to send a check for $1.5 million along with the script.

If he liked the script and wanted to make the movie, he'd cash the check; the producer then owed him another $1.5 million. He'd keep his half of his $3 million salary if the producer couldn't come up with the other half. McQueen likely used this then-unprecedented pay-or-play arrangement to guarantee the six-year semi-retirement he undertook after "The Towering Inferno", in which he appeared in only one picture, the vanity project An Enemy of the People (1978). When he did return to commercial filmmaking, his price was $3 million. He was voted the 31st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine. Appeared with Charles Bronson in three films directed by John Sturges : Never So Few (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963). Also, appeared with James Coburn in the latter two Sturges films cited above. According to military records released by the Pentagon in 2005, Marine Pfc. Steve McQueen was confined to base for being absent without leave for 30 days and fined $90 after being AWOL from Camp Lejeune, NC.

He joined the Marine Corps at 17 and worked as a tank driver and mechanic, which probably spurred his lifelong interest in vehicles, especially motorcycles. He received a commendation for rescuing five Marines in a training accident, and later took advantage of GI BIll education benefits to study at the Actors' Studio in New York City. Appeared with Eli Wallach in both his first major successful film, The Magnificent Seven (1960), and his final film, The Hunter (1980). Appeared in three different films with Robert Vaughn : The Magnificent Seven (1960); Bullitt (1968) and The Towering Inferno (1974). When he briefly left The Great Escape (1963) during filming, due to the fact that his character did not play as large a part as he would have liked, it was James Coburn and James Garner who convinced him to return. Because of its huge success and continuing popularity, it has become his best known role. Always resented the fact that Horst Buchholz was cast as Chico in The Magnificent Seven (1960), the role he had initially wanted.

Like the coolest movie stars, was strongly connected to Triumph motorcycles, riding a 650cc TR6 Trophy in The Great Escape (1963) and competing on the same model in the 1964 International Six Days Trial held in East Germany. Photographs of his desert racing also show him upon this model. He also visited Triumph's Meriden factory in 1964 and 1965 for collection and preparation of his motorcycles. In the movie S.W.A.T. (2003), Colin Farrell 's character of Jim Street has a poster of McQueen's Bullitt (1968) in his apartment. In real life, Farrell frequently cites McQueen as one of his idols and influences as an actor. In 1960, with his growing success, he formed his own production company called Scuderia Condor Enterprises, which he ran until 1963 when he and his family moved to 2419 Solar Drive and he renamed his company Solar Productons, Inc., and would produce many films under this banner until his death. Of all the characters he ever played, he frequently cited Lt.

Frank Bullitt from Bullitt (1968) as his favorite. The last words he uttered on screen were "God bless you" in The Hunter (1980). His only two appearances at the Academy Awards were as a presenter: in 1964 he presented the Oscar for Best Sound and in 1965, holding hands with Claudia Cardinale , he presented the Oscar again for Best Sound. Shortly before filming began on Tom Horn (1980), he had quit smoking cigarettes. His somewhat "squashed" appearance was due to a crash diet. Grandfather of Steven R. McQueen and Molly McQueen . His name somehow appeared on President Richard Nixon 's "List of Enemies" in 1972. In reality, McQueen was conservative in his political beliefs, with a strong belief in self-help. In 1963 he had declined to participate in the March on Washington for civil rights and, in 1968, refused to join many of his Hollywood peers in supporting Sen. Robert F. Kennedy 's presidential campaign.

An incredulous Ali MacGraw asked McQueen how he could have been considered a threat by Nixon, adding, "You are the most patriotic person I know!" McQueen responded to the whole affair by flying an enormous American flag outside his house. Was William Friedkin 's first choice for the Jackie Scanlon character in Sorcerer (1977). McQueen accepted the part, but on one condition. He wanted a co-starring role for his then wife, Ali MacGraw . Friedkin would not accept his conditions, and McQueen dropped out of the film. Freidkin later went on record has having regretted not accepting McQueen's conditions. Before his death, McQueen optioned two screenplays from Walter Hill : The Driver (1978) and "The Last Gun". "The Driver" got made later, with Ryan O'Neal playing the lead part. "The Last Gun" remains unproduced. After The Towering Inferno (1974) he was offered several multi-million-dollar roles but refused them all.

He turned down the chance to star in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Superman (1978), Raise the Titanic (1980) and the opportunity to star in and direct a film called "Deajum's Wife". Turned down a role for the sequel to The Towering Inferno (1974) in 1977. Died of the same cause (lung cancer) as his The Magnificent Seven (1960) co-star Yul Brynner , though McQueen's cancer was brought on by exposure to asbestos and Brynner's was due to smoking. Felt ill during the filming of Tom Horn (1980), and assumed he had pneumonia. However, towards the end of filming McQueen had begun to cough up blood. On 22 December 1979, after filming had finished, he was diagnosed with cancer. Following the release of Bullitt (1968) McQueen found it hilarious how he was considered the coolest celebrity by teenagers, despite being nearly 40.

In that same year he declared his support for the Vietnam War and voted for Richard Nixon in November's presidential election. Homer Simpson named McQueen as his personal hero in The Simpsons: Saturdays of Thunder (1991). Was offered the co-starring role in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). However, he was still under contract for his TV series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958), which prevented him from appearing. The role eventually went to George Peppard . In 1973 McQueen flew to England to meet Oliver Reed and discuss a possible film collaboration. "Reed showed me his country mansion and we got on well," recalled McQueen. "He then suggested he take me to his favorite London nightclub." The drinking, which started at Reed's home, Broome Hall, continued into the night until Reed could hardly stand. Suddenly, and with no apparent warning, he vomited over McQueen's shirt and trousers. "The staff rushed around and found me some new clothes, but they couldn't get me any shoes," said McQueen. "I had to spend the rest of the night smelling of Oliver Reed's sick.". Turned down Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

McQueen told director Steven Spielberg he couldn't play a character who was too emotionally oriented. Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in April 2007. He did not like gratuitous violence, swearing or nudity in movies. Was considered for the role of Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979). The part eventually went to Marlon Brando . At one point he approached playwright Samuel Beckett with an idea for filming the play "Waiting for Godot", but Becket had never heard of him. Intended to retire after filming The Towering Inferno (1974). Inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978. After Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn , McQueen was the celebrity most sought out by the press at the premiere of My Fair Lady (1964). Turned down Clint Eastwood 's role in Dirty Harry (1971). Inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. His friend and co-star Richard Attenborough said that if McQueen had lived for longer he would have been regarded as the greatest film actor since Spencer Tracy .

British band Prefab Sprout used his name for the title of their second album, released in 1985. Due to objections from the late actor's estate, the album was issued with the alternative title of "Two Wheels Good" in the United States. He later regretted turning down Roy Scheider 's role in Sorcerer (1977). Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998). Kevin Costner has named McQueen as his favorite actor, and his main influence as an actor. Turned down Gene Hackman 's Oscar-winning role as drug-busting cop Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection (1971) because he thought the movie was too similar to Bullitt (1968). Quigley Down Under (1990) was written for McQueen in the 1970s. Made headlines when accepting the lead in Tai-Pan (1986) for an unheard of $10 million, for which he was given a $1-million fee up front.

His health declined, however, and he died before the producers were able to raise the necessary capital for production. It was eventually released six years after McQueen's death, with Bryan Brown in the lead. Was considered, but ultimately rejected, for the role of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (1974). Colin Farrell , Kevin Costner , Pierce Brosnan and Bruce Willis have all listed McQueen as their hero and inspiration for being an actor. Turned down a $4-million offer to star in The Gauntlet (1977) when Barbra Streisand was originally attached to the picture. McQueen and Streisand refused to appear together, for reasons unknown. Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw were then considered when Sam Peckinpah was set to direct, before Clint Eastwood took over as director and cast himself and Sondra Locke in the lead roles. Turned down Marlon Brando 's role in The Missouri Breaks (1976) and George C. Scott 's role in Islands in the Stream (1977) because he claimed to be completely retired from acting.

Turned down lead roles in The Victors (1963) and King Rat (1965) because he didn't want to become typecast in war movies. Turned down Ocean's 11 (1960) on the advice of his friend Hedda Hopper , who told him to be his own man rather than Frank Sinatra 's "flunky". On March 21, 1967, three days before his 37th birthday, he became the 153rd star to put his handprints and footprints on the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater. Turned down a role in A Bridge Too Far (1977) because he only wanted top billing roles, not all-star assembled projects. Had a younger paternal half sister, Terri McQueen, whom he never met. He was brought up by his grandparents. A troublesome teenager, he spent five years in a California reformatory. He ran away from home and worked on ships, as an oil field laborer and fairground barker.

He appeared at least three times on the big screen with his good friend, Don Gordon : Bullitt (1968), Papillon (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974). Dick Powell , head of Four Star Productions, gave the green light to McQueen's western series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958), but was concerned about his continuing in the lead after the pilot sold because the actor was not big or tall enough to be believable as a rough-hewn bounty hunter, and did not know how to ride a horse. Powell changed his mind when he saw McQueen's charismatic performance in the early rushes of the show's first episode. He was a rebellious teenager, didn't get along with his stepfather and had several thefts on his record. In 1944 his parents placed him in the California Junior Republic for Boys at Chino. In later years he referred to his stay at Chino as "the best thing that ever happened to me" and that "they straightened me out there".

After his first meeting with director Robert Wise for his first film role in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Wise referred to him as "just a kook in a beanie.". In 1966 he appeared on the TV show What's My Line (1956). Although he had problems with authority in the strict Marine Corps and served a tough 41 days in the brig for a 21-day AWOL incident, he was discharged honorably. Acting teacher 'Sanford Meisner' (q) said of the fledgling actor: "He was an original--both tough and childlike, as if he'd been through everything, but he had preserved a basic innocence". During the scene in Bullitt (1968) in which the giant airliner taxis just above McQueen, observers were shocked that no double was used. Asked if the producers couldn't have found a dummy, the actor wryly replied, "They did.". McQueen died from mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is assumed he was exposed to race driver suits that used asbestos for protection from car fires and movie soundstage insulation.

McQueen was cremated and a memorial service was held at his home with a bi-plane flyover by his flying buddies. There were so many flowers and cards from his fans put on his likeness at the Hollywoo Wax Museum, the wax statue had to be put in storage to prevent damage from the tributes. He was born on March 24 (1930), the same day that 76 Allied prisoners of war begin breaking out of the German POW camp Stalag Luft III in 1944, during World War II, which later became the basis of The Great Escape (1963) in which McQueen starred. He quit smoking cigarettes in 1978, although he continued to smoke cigars. He was once employed as a "towel boy" in a brothel. Smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. Had a feud with next-door neighbor British rocker Keith Moon ("the loon") of The Who in Malibu. Moon had a habit of leaving his bathroom light on at night. The light shone directly into McQueen's bedroom and kept him awake at night.

After telling Moon repeatedly to turn it off without success, he took out a shotgun, blew out the light and went back to bed. Charged a $50,000 script reading fee upfront during his semi-retirement years. His final scene in film ended with "God Bless You" The Hunter (1980). He died shortly after the film's release. Was voted #14 in an online poll for Channel 4's 100 Greatest Movie Stars in 2003 (UK). Was the first actor to make the transition from TV star to huge box-office movie star. He died in his sleep. Personal Quotes (31) In my own mind, I'm not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing. [interview in "TV Guide"] When a horse learns to buy martinis, I'll learn to like horses. I don't believe in that phony hero stuff. If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood. When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it. Sometimes kids ask me what a pro is. I just point to the Duke [ John Wayne ] I live for myself and I answer to nobody.

Stardom equals freedom. It's the only equation that matters. I just want the pine trees and my kids and the green grass. I want to get rich and fat and watch my children grow. An actor is a puppet, manipulated by a dozen other people. Auto racing has dignity. But you need the same absolute concentration. You have to reach inside yourself and bring forth a lot of broken glass. Stardom equals financial success, and financial success equals security. I've spent too much of my life feeling insecure. I really don't like to act. At the beginning, back in '52, I had to force myself to stick with it. I was real uncomfortable, real uncomfortable. When a kid didn't have any love when he was small, he begins to wonder if he's good enough. You know if my mother didn't love me, and I didn't have a father, I mean, well, I guess I'm not very good. You only say what's important and you own the scene. I worked hard, and if you work hard you get the goodies. I'm not sure whether I'm an actor who races or a racer who acts.

[on An Enemy of the People (1978)] The main thing I was shooting for was not to make bucks but to have something I could believe in. The Marines gave me discipline I could live with. By the time I got out I could deal with things on a more realistic level. All in all, despite my problems, I liked my time in the Marines. I believe in me. I'm a little screwed up but I'm beautiful. They call me a chauvinist pig. I am . . . and I don't give a damn! I have to be careful because I'm a limited actor. I mean, my range isn't very great. There's a whole lot of stuff I can't do, so I have to find characters and situations that feel right. Even then, when I've got something that fits, it's a hell of a lot of work. I'm not a serious actor. There's something about my shaggy-dog eyes that makes people think I'm good. I'm not all that good. I'm out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society.

Listen, in Taiwan most people don't know who Lyndon Johnson is, but they sure as hell know who John Wayne is. [on Dustin Hoffman ] If a guy like him can become a star, what'll happen to guys like [ Paul Newman ] and me? Every time I look in the rear-view mirror, I see Robert Redford . [His last words] I did it. The only time that I really honestly relax it seems is when I'm motor racing. I do relax a lot at speed. One really has to. You must stay relaxed because if any trouble comes up, you don't want to be tense, you want to stay very relaxed so that you can cope with it. [on Le Mans (1971)] If we're going to do this, we are going to do it right. No typical Hollywood bullshit--no clever twists, no perfect ending. It has to be pure. And if we're going to do it about one race, it has to be Le Mans I believe that I want to lead the type of life that I want to lead. In other words, my private life is my own, and I'll fight to have that. I've hurried all my life.

It's a way of life for me. You only go around once in life and I'm going to grab a handful of it. Salary (24) Steve McQueen | American actor | Britannica.com American actor Alternative Title: Terence Stephen McQueen Steve McQueen Wesley Snipes Steve McQueen, in full Terence Stephen McQueen (born March 24, 1930, Indianapolis , Ind., U.S.—died Nov. 7, 1980, Juarez , Mex.), macho, laconic American movie star of the 1960s and ’70s. Cool and stoical , his loner heroes spoke through actions and rarely with words. Steve McQueen in Bullitt (1968). © Warner Brothers/Seven Arts McQueen drifted through odd jobs and three years of service in the marines before he began performing at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse in 1952. He did occasional theatre work, making his screen debut with a bit part in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956).

His first starring role was in the camp horror classic The Blob (1958), and that same year he earned the lead role of a bounty hunter on the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive, which ran until 1961. In the early 1960s, McQueen attained stardom when he appeared in two action films directed by John Sturges . The first of these was the western The Magnificent Seven (1960), in which he starred with Yul Brynner and Charles Bronson as defenders of a Mexican village. The second action film to refine McQueen’s image was The Great Escape (1963), in which he portrayed an allied captive in a World War II German prison camp who makes a daring motorcycle escape. McQueen starred in several films of quality during the 1960s, including The War Lover (1962), Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), Soldier in the Rain (1963), Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965), and The Cincinnati Kid (1965).

He received his only Oscar nomination for another war epic, The Sand Pebbles (1966), but his definitive role came as a world-weary detective solving a mob murder case in Bullitt (1968). In this film, McQueen’s real-life enthusiasm for racing came into play in a celebrated extended car chase through the streets of San Francisco for which McQueen himself acted as stunt driver. The stylish caper The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) cast McQueen against type as a wealthy and elegant thief, yet it proved to be one of his most memorable performances. Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). © The Mirisch Corporation Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). © The Mirisch Corporation Many more hit movies followed in the 1970s, such as The Getaway (1972), Papillon (1973), and The Towering Inferno (1974), but McQueen did little to develop as an actor.

He took a three-year hiatus to star in and produce a screen adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s stage play An Enemy of the People (1977), a drama about a scientist’s efforts to expose his community’s polluted water system. The film was decidedly a labour of love for the actor, but it was poorly received and barely released theatrically. Britannica Stories Steve McQueen - IMDb IMDb Actor | Producer | Soundtrack He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. Over 25 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular culture. McQueen was born in Beech Grove, Indiana, ...

See full bio » Born: a list of 25 people created 01 Oct 2011 a list of 35 people created 07 Oct 2011 a list of 47 people created 26 Jul 2013 a list of 30 people created 28 Dec 2013 a list of 21 people created 11 Feb 2015 Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of Steve McQueen's work have you seen? User Polls Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 15 nominations. See more awards » Known For The Great Escape Hilts 'The Cooler King' (1963) Mal Cody / Wes Cody / Josh Randall - The Brothers (1958) ...

Mal Cody / Wes Cody 1957 The Big Story (TV Series) Chuck Milton 1957 West Point (TV Series) Rick 1955 Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) Bit Role 1952 Family Affair (TV Short) Freddie (as Stephen McQueen) 1966 Nevada Smith (producer - uncredited) Hide 1965 Baby the Rain Must Fall (performer: "Baby, The Rain Must Fall") Hide 1974 The Towering Inferno (stunts - uncredited) 1968 Bullitt (stunts - uncredited) 1971 Le Mans (driver: racing cars) Hide 2009 Evocator (Short) (grateful acknowledgment) Hide 1973 The Magnificent Rebel (Documentary short) Himself 1967 Think Twentieth (Documentary short) Himself 1966 What's My Line?

(TV Series) Himself - Mystery Guest 1966 The Coming of the Roads (TV Movie documentary) Narrator (voice) 1962 Here's Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 1960 Hedda Hopper's Hollywood (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2016 No Sleep TV3 (TV Series) Vin Tanner 2012 I Am Bruce Lee (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2003 The People's Hollywood (TV Movie documentary) Himself 2002 Sendung ohne Namen (TV Series documentary) Himself 2002 Hollywood Greats (TV Series documentary) Himself 1998 The Path of the Dragon (Video documentary short) Himself 1998 E!

True Hollywood Story (TV Series documentary) Himself 1998 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (TV Series) Hilts 'The Cooler King' 1994 100 Years at the Movies (TV Short documentary) Himself 1993 Fame in the Twentieth Century (TV Series documentary) Himself (uncredited) 1992 Ca détourne (TV Movie) Private eye 1990 Death in Hollywood (Video documentary) Himself 1988 Monsters & Maniacs (Video documentary) Himself Steve McQueen appeared on the TV show "What's my line". See more » Publicity Listings: 5 Biographical Movies | 13 Print Biographies | 1 Interview | 24 Articles | 10 Pictorials | 14 Magazine Cover Photos | See more » Official Sites: Did You Know? Personal Quote: The Marines gave me discipline I could live with. By the time I got out I could deal with things on a more realistic level. All in all, despite my problems, I liked my time in the Marines. See more » Trivia: He quit smoking cigarettes in 1978, although he continued to smoke cigars.

See more » Trademark: Light brown hair and bright blue eyes See more » Nickname: Steve McQueen | hobbyDB Steve McQueen Bullitt Le Mans (Movie) Terence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American actor. Called "The King of Cool", his "anti-hero" persona, developed at the height of the Vietnam War-era counterculture, made him a top box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles. His other popular films include The Blob, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon, as well as the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and The Towering Inferno. In 1974, he became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in films again for four years. McQueen was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries.

Related Audiovisual Recordings (VHS, DVD, Film Reels, etc.) The Top 20 Movies Starring Steve McQueen - Flickchart The Top 20 Movies Starring Steve McQueen like/share ► Here are a few examples of ways you can filter the charts: Rent Steve McQueen Movies on DVD and Blu-ray - DVD Netflix Thrillers Steve McQueen The rebellious loners Steve McQueen played on-screen in films such as Bullitt (1968) and Papillon (1973) were not all that different from the real-life McQueen, who dropped out of high school and roamed the country before enlisting in the Marines. Born March 24, 1930, in Beech Grove, Ind., McQueen moved to New York in 1950. After training at the Actor's Studio, he made his Broadway debut in "A Hatful of Rain" and his film debut in Somebody Up There Likes Me -- both in 1956. Two years later, he would be cast in leading roles both in film (The Blob) and on TV (as the bounty hunter in "Wanted: Dead or Alive").

By the early '60s, McQueen was a bona fide star -- a status confirmed by his presence in John Sturges's smash The Magnificent Seven. A string of hits followed, including The Great Escape, The Sand Pebbles (which earned him an Oscar nod) and The Getaway. McQueen died Nov. 7, 1980.

Question: Which American actor starred in the films Bullitt, Papillon and The Great Escape?
Answer: STEVE MCQUEEN